


Into the Wild

by helgaeunoia



Category: brightwin - Fandom, เพราะเราคู่กัน | 2gether: The Series (Thailand TV), เพราะเราคู่กัน | 2gether: The Series (Thailand TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brightwin and their duality will be the death of every AO3 writer, Explicit Sexual Content, Humor, Identity Issues, Implied Switching, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Tarzan References, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:02:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27431707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helgaeunoia/pseuds/helgaeunoia
Summary: In theory, accompanying his mother in Chiang Rai should have been a ton of fun. He’d spent the months leading up to it reading about the various plants and wildlife as well as some quite tedious survival guides, all so he'd know just what to expect and how to protect himself from it.Now, he was seriously regretting it. If only he'd just said no, he wouldn't be in thismessright now.Tarzan AU. In which Win agreed to join his mother for a three-month long expedition in Chiang Rai, only to cross paths with Bright, a wild man who lives in the jungle.
Relationships: Bright Vachirawit Chivaaree/Win Metawin Opas-iamkajorn
Comments: 26
Kudos: 219





	Into the Wild

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short crack!fic but the plot gods called me... so here you go. I'll take a month-long break after this one (or will I...). Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction! :D

Deep in the jungle there lives a man. He swings from branch to branch, living as one with the apes and the creatures of the trees and rivers, the vines and rocks. 

And his name…. is Bright.

* * *

_“Does he look dangerous to you?“_

_“Was it alone?”_

_“Yes. Our enemy killed his family.”_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Yes. There are no others.”_

_“Then you may keep him.”_

_“Nadech, I know he'll be a good son.”_

_“I said he could stay. That doesn't make him my son. We will nest here for the night.”_

_“So what are you going to call it?”_

_“I'm going to call him Bright, like the sun.”_

_“Bright? Okay... he's your baby.”_

_The gorilla who’s name is Yaya paused, and bowed her head, nuzzling the child in her arms._

_“Yes. He is like the sun, so he’s my son...”_

* * *

Win should have known agreeing to go on this trip was a bad idea from the start. 

In theory, accompanying his mother in Chiang Rai should have been a ton of fun. He’d spent the months leading up to it reading about the various plants and wildlife as well as some quite tedious survival guides, all so he'd know just what to expect and how to protect himself from it.

Now, he was seriously regretting it. If only he'd just said no, he wouldn't be in this mess right now. The mess being stuck in a loop of never-ending scare jumps, courtesy of his mother and her assistant, Luke.

“What was that?“ Luke turned on the shaking bush, shooting off a round.

They are currently walking along the river and scanning the ground for tracks when Luke is making a fuss again.

“Luke, what is it?” his mother asked. “What is it? Are we in danger?”

“I… thought I saw something.”

“Saw something?” her eyes widened at that. “Oh! Was it a hippopotamus amphibious, or a rhinoceros—”

“Professor Opas-iamkajorn! Don't move!”

“Yes, yes of course,” Win’s mother halted, looking up at the trees.

“Khun-mae? What's happening?” Win huffed, beating back the bamboo from his face with a scowl. 

“Luke’s asked me not to move. He saw something.”

Win sighed, walking past her. “Luke, I know you’ve been working for us for almost two years now. But my mother and I came on this expedition to study gorillas, and I rather think your shooting might be scaring them off."

“Your mother hired me to protect you, young master Opas-iamkajorn, and protect you I shall.”

Win rolled his eyes at Luke’s faux attempt in formality, obviously trying to annoy him.

“And you're doing a good job of it, phi, but we only have a short time before the ship returns. So if you don’t mind—”

“Oh! Win, luuk, do you realize what you're standing in?”

Win stopped at the urgency in his mother’s voice and stared below him.

_It’s a gorilla's nest._

“Holy shit,” Win’s eyes widened, and he knelt down, examining the muddled leaves and branches.

“At last, our first sign in days! Do you think the beasts could be nearby?” Luke gave a sly grin, glancing around.

“Stop calling them beasts,” Win huffed in annoyance.

“Hey, relax. I’m just curious if they are here.”

“Well, they could be. There's the evidence right here,” mother said, kneeling down alongside Win.

“Yes. Evidence,” Win looked up, examining the forest around them. “Over there.”

“Yes! More nests! I see them!” Win’s mother clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh this is wonderful! I must mark these on the map!”

“Just as you predicted, khun-mae, well done,” Win stood, handing her the map from his journal. “Now then. Mark this, and let’s carry on.”

“Oh, Win, luuk, you’re the best.” 

Win smiles warmly at his mom in response. His mother then marked the map, mumbling to herself as she started to head off.

Win can tell it’s going to be a long, long, journey.

* * *

“There’s no gorilla here. Perhaps we should press on,” Luke followed her, looking around suspiciously.

“Indeed. Now we should keep heading west,” Win’s mother said, altering her course.

Win glanced up at the treetops and sighed, going to follow them. He paused at a rustle of leaves, and then gave a small chuckle, squatting down. 

“And are you what all that fuss was about?” Win smiles cheekily. “Khun-mae, come back, look at what I’ve found.” 

Win opened his journal, smiling at the baby monkey, currently blinking up at him.

“Now just you wait, and hold still for me. Not quite a gorilla, but you’ll do,” he cleared his throat, adding a last few lines. “Now. What do you think?” he asked, showing the drawing off. “Goodness, I’m turning into khun-mae. Speaking to animals,” he chuckles a bit. “What will—”

_Damn it._

“Why you little—well, this is absolutely peachy,” he sighs. “I came to study gorillas yet I get my sketchbook snatched by a monkey. Hey, come here immediately! Return my sketch!”

Win chased after the small creature, brandishing his umbrella. “Give me that! Ohoh, come on now, enough of this. I want that paper on the count of three,” the monkey paused, and Win smirked. “Yes. Now. One, two, oh look! Bananas!” The monkey bounced up, glancing around, and Win snatched the paper.

“I can't believe you fell for that one. No, no, don't give me those crocodile tears,” Win smirked as the animal gave a shriek and began to cry out. “What would your mother have to... say?” 

Win gave a weak chuckle, backing away as one of the branches above him creaked with the sudden weight of a monkey troupe. 

“Y-you see? I told you they'd be cross. Go easy on him, children will be children,” he said hesitantly. “Oh, what am I doing, you can’t even understand me.” 

Win stepped back, and his boot landed on a branch, the crack echoing around the trees. “Oh shit!” Win turned and ran, as the entire troupe came after him.

Win rounded a sharp corner, and gasped a second time when he came face to face with a wall of rock. He ran as far as he could, snapping his head here, there and everywhere for an escape route, but the monkey horde blocked him in every conceivable direction.

Trying not to panic, Win broke out into a run in the direction he'd been heading. He deftly jumped low hanging vines and ducked under large drooping leaves, staring forward, determined to prove to himself that there was nothing to be afraid of.

But then he stepped on a patch of leaves and something went wrong. They didn't hold his weight. As his footing failed and he started careening to one side and sliding to the other, Win got terrified as he saw no forest floor there, only layers upon layers of branches. He'd been running along the edge of a cliff and been so focused on looking forward that he didn't even notice.

All of a sudden, his boots slipped down the treacherous slope almost vertically, sending him careening down into a deadfall. Sharp rocks dug into his arm and thigh on his right side as branches snagged and tore at him from the other side. 

Win squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of having them poked out and tried to grab at something—anything—to slow his descent. There was nothing but the quickly passing rocks that cut his fingers as he tried to grab at them. 

“Ahhh! Help me!” he screams continuously. He’s falling! He’s freaking falling! And then he’s… flying? 

“I’m flying?” 

Win gave a little gasp, looking down as the trees rushed below him. 

“What the...” 

Win looked up and gave a sharp squeal when he saw a man. A strange, wild man with frankly one of the most stunning features he has ever seen, currently cradling him in his broad, strong naked arms.

And a piece of cloth that hangs down from around the waist.

_What the actual fuck just happened?_

“H-hey!” he screams. “You! Unhand me! Put me down immediately!”

The almost-naked man isn’t responding to his demand, so he smacked against the wild man’s wrist with his umbrella. 

“Do you have any idea who I am, you… you stranger! Put me down! I am Lord Win Metawin Opas-iamkajorn! I—” 

Win yelped again as he fell down onto a branch, padded by a pile of bouncy leaves. He rubbed his head, brushing off his suit with a scowl. 

"Oo, oo," the stranger said in the language of the apes, giving a nod.

"Ooh what?" Win swallowed, fighting to keep his eyes open. “Honestly,” he glared at the man that landed beside him, head cocked. “Who are you?”

The man didn’t reply, simply edging closer, only to pause as a monkey jumped down beside him. He gave a little growl, and turned.

Win’s eyes widened as the pair began to speak in a series of yips and grunts. 

“You… you’re communicating,” he said disbelievingly.

The man turned, snorting. He advanced on Win again, and Win backed away quickly, thudding against the tree trunk. 

“Now, just a mo—” 

Win froze as the man sniffed a line down his body, and then snatched the drawing he’d tucked into his waist belt, handing it off to the baby monkey. The creature made a noise of success, and the monkeys disappeared almost as quickly as they’d come.

_Uh… okay?_

“Well. Thank you for that I suppose, but I really must be going now,” Win said, standing slowly and sliding away from him, boot slipping. “Shit. My mother will be quite concerned, and I just don’t think that—eep.” 

Win froze as the man pressed up against him, snuffling against his throat. 

“I'm trapped in a tree with a.. .a practically nude man… who talks to monkeys. I can’t do this… this is… oh.”

_What the fuck, what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck._

“H-hey! This is rather,” he gave a small, breathy whimper as the man’s chest met his. “I...oh. Oh. Oh! How dare you!” 

Win shoved the man away, going over to the other end of the branch, straightening his suit once more. 

“Explain yourself! Before this situation gets any worse!”

In spite of himself, Win felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. The stranger had an incredibly muscular back and legs, his hair black and messy. The man cocked his head at him, just as there was a loud thunderclap. Win gave a low groan, sinking down onto the ground. 

“Rather too late,” he muttered, as rain began to pelt them.

The man came a little closer, reaching out and touching Win’s chin, tipping it to the side in interest.

“Stay back,” Win muttered, swatting half heartedly at him.

It was about then that he noticed that as wild and unrestrained as the man was, he had the most intense eyes he'd ever seen. They were like the end of a tunnel, so black and inviting, and just… endless. God, he could just get lost in eyes like that—goodness what was he thinking?

Win kept telling himself that too, that it was embarrassing, that he really oughtn't be noticing those sorts of things. Things like the face attached to those broad shoulders, and that thick beautifully-shaped collar bone, or the fact that the man's face was hairless, that he couldn't be much older than himself. He kept telling himself not to notice, but damn if that wasn't making things even worse.

The man gave a noise of concern, and then trailed his hand down Win’s arm and chest, examining him curiously. 

“W-what are you doing? Stop that! I say, that-oh!” Win gasped, flushing and slapping at the man’s hand. “Stop it! That tickles!”

The man jumped back as Win snorted, copying the noise he made.

Win froze, eyes widening. “Do that again.”

“Do that again.”

“You can speak?”

“You can speak?”

“Stop copying me,” Win scowled, leaning forward.

“Stop copying me.” The man moved to Win. “You can speak? Do that again,” he grinned, and leaned forward, pressing his ear to the man’s chest. “Do that again,” he said softly. “Again? Again? Again? Again? Again?”

“That’s my heartbeat,” Win said, watching with wide eyes.

“Heartbeat?”

“Yes. It’s-oh!” Win gasped as the man tugged his head to his chest.

“Heartbeat,” the man copied, petting Win’s hair in fascination.

“Yes, thank you. It's a lovely heartbeat,” Win pulled away. “What’s your name?”

“What’s your name?”

“My name? Win. Your turn.”

“My name? Win.”

Win sighed. “No, look. I am Win,” he pointed at himself. “You are….?”

The man paused and then brought his hand to his chest. “Bright.”

Win laughed. “How very English! Bright? Bright what?”

“What?” Bright cocked his head. “English?”

“Perhaps that was a bit too much. Bright will do for now,” Win shifted, wiping the water from his face. 

Bright suddenly reached out for Win's shirt, which made his eyes widened.

“W-what?”

"Name?" Bright asked with a curious twinkle in his eyes.

_Oh._

"Uh, shirt,” he smiles warmly. “That's a shirt."

"Name?"

"Those are my pants. Pants."

"Pa-ants," Bright looked around for what else he could ask Win about. He kneeled down. "Name?"

"That's—those are my boots. Boots."

"Bo-ots." 

Bright stood up again and stared at him for a few seconds, his finger straying close to his eye. Win hurriedly shut it, worried about going blind if the man poked him. A gentle finger stroked over his eyelid a few times.

"Name."

"Eye," Win pointed at both of his closed eyes with two fingers. "Eyes," Then at just one. "Eye."

Bright's fingers stroked over his lips and Win couldn't help the way his breath hitched at the intimate, tickling contact. The man's thumb pulled at his bottom lip a bit, and Win swallowed, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and insecure, his longing for intimate contact sharp in his chest. He opened his eyes to ground himself a little. 

Bright looked fascinated.

"Name?"

"Mou—lips. I mean—" He gestured around his whole mouth. "Mouth," then poked both of his lips. "Lips."

Bright stared for a little while longer, letting the word "lips" roll off his tongue silently. Then he brushed his knuckles over Win's ear.

"Name."

"Uh—t-that's my ear. Ear."

Bright touched his other ear too, and carefully enunciated. "Ears."

Win blinked at him. Fast learner.

"Yes, that's correct," he nodded in encouragement. "Ears."

Bright grinned again, proud of his guess, but this smile was a little smaller than the ones before, a little more earnest. It took Win's breath away. 

He jumped when Bright's hands, which had been trailing down his arms, brushed over cuts on his forearms. 

Bright jerked in response. Win gave him a guilty smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—my arms hurt because of my fall, is all."

There was no recognition in Bright's eyes and Win pulled his wrists out of Bright's hands. He twirled his hands a bit.

"My arms. They hurt," he wrapped the appendages around his waist protectively to prevent the man from grabbing where his wounds were again.

Bright flapped his own hands. "Arms."

Sighing, Win let his hands drop and touched Bright's. 

"Hands," then let his hands trail up Bright's arms to his shoulders, and then back down to his fingers, his fingertips electrified by the gentle contact with smooth flesh. "Arms."

"Hurt?"

Win showed off the bruised and scabbed underside of his own forearm due to his almost zigzag-y fall awhile ago when he was running away from monkeys.

"Hurt."

Bright's face set in recognition, then concern. He grabbed at Win's arms before Win could pull them back, more gently this time, but it still made him nervous. 

The jungle man examined the wounds closely, peeking under Win's sleeves, which he wore rolled up to the elbow, to see if there were any more wounds there. Then he grabbed the back of Win's neck, and started walking, pulling Win with him.

"Whoa! Wait—I, I'm lost. I need to find my mother."

Bright gave him a critical look over his shoulder and kept pulling him.

"Win hurt."

* * *

After walking through the forest at a brisk pace for some time, Bright led him out into a small clearing, and motioned for him to stay in the center while he walked to the shrubbery. 

Win let his gaze wander over his surroundings, wondering why Bright led him to this specific place when it looked like any other clearing. He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously where the skin was slick with sweat from Bright holding him by the nape this whole time. 

The man kneeled to dig through the leaves of a plant, collecting something. 

Win had to look away in embarrassment suddenly when the man straightened his legs, but stayed bent over, giving Win a good view of his body.

He gulps.

The jungle boy certainly had a good body from every angle. His muscles all over were developed and defined but lean. They flexed enticingly under his skin as Bright shifted his weight from one foot to the other, picking meticulously through the leaves. 

If Win were to ever have a live model for his drawings, he would certainly nominate Bright as his first choice.

Bright came back to him with a neat little pile of berries nestled in his hands. He dropped them on the ground and started pulling at Win's shirt and gesturing and hissing.

"Shirt. Shirt!"

It took Win a moment to process. 

"Y-you want me to take my shirt off?"

Bright tugged at the shirt again and pulled it out from where it was tucked into Win's pants. Win pushed his hands away.

"Okay! Okay! Yes. Shirt off. Off."

Win unbuttoned the shirt and, taking a deep breath, slipped out of it, very self-conscious about his own body while standing next to Adonis Bright. Thankfully, Bright didn't seem to pay any attention to his appearance, though, pulling Win down to the ground and sitting with his legs crossed. Win mirrored him.

Bright took Win's wrist in one hand, and one of the berries he'd collected in his other hand. He smashed the vibrant violet berry against Win's skin and rubbed the bright orange juices around. 

Win hissed and tried to pull his arm back, but Bright held fast, only making one of his slow nods and muttering, "Win hurt," in response. He tried to relax and ignore the pain, assuming the other man knew what he was doing. 

By the time Bright was done treating the cuts and bruises on Win's arms, shoulders, and parts of his side, the juice where he first applied it stung less, and there was a tickling numb sensation.

Bright leaned back to admire his handiwork. Then he grabbed Win's ankle, almost tipping Win over in the process, and pushed away the pant leg and sock so he could examine the skin there. He let go of Win's ankle.

"Pants off."

Win didn't move.

"W-what?"

"Win hurt. Pants off."

Win groaned and stood up as Bright watched him. 

Completely uncomfortable, Win turned around and started pulling off his boots and socks. He was about to undo his belt when he saw Bright crawling around him, curiously trying to see what Win was doing. 

“Hey!” Win let out an undignified squawk and turned away again, looking over his shoulder to make sure Bright was behind him. This time Bright did a roll to come up in front of him, and grinned up at Win. 

Oh, God. The man thought this was a game.

"No, Bright."

He threw a glare at the man and turned around one last time, completely flustered by the attention he was getting. This time, Bright grabbed him by the elbows and spun him back around forcibly, holding him in place with strong hand on his biceps. He seemed confused and was squinting down at Win's belt to see what was so interesting about it. Then, he dropped to his knees in front of Win and reached for the belt.

"No!"

Win stumbled away, blocking Bright's hands.

"No?"

Win grimaced and set his hands on his hips to try to portray his anger to the other man. Bright seemed to get it. He sank down to sit on the ground and, grabbing his own ankles, watched Win apprehensively. 

_Oh no._

Win felt a little bad about yelling and freaking out and making such a fuss. After all, the guy was just trying to help him with his wounds. But still... he wouldn't be able to bear that sort of embarrassment. 

He turned around and undid his belt. Glancing over his shoulder to find Bright still sitting obediently in the same spot, Win undid his pants too, and slipped them off.

Win then turned around and faced Bright, holding his pants in front of him like a protective shield. 

"Pants off," he said softly to convey his apology.

Bright tilted his head, then got up and made a run for Win's discarded belt, careful to stay out of reach once he had it, like he was worried Win might snatch it back. He played with it a little, making the buckle jingle. Finally, he turned back to Win and held the belt up.

"Name?"

Win sighed, in relief, glad he didn't upset the other man too much.

"Belt. That's a belt. For pants."

Bright looked down at Win's pants that he was holding, then his own loincloth. Pulling the belt between two hands, he tried to wrap it around his waist. Win watched him fumble with it for a while before he finally dropped the pants he'd been clutching, and went to help the guy figure out a buckle.

He reached forward carefully, palms showing, and looked questioningly at Bright. Taking a moment to consider it, Bright turned to square his shoulders to Win as permission to approach. With shaking, nervous fingers, Win took the two ends of the belt and fastened them together, slowly so Bright could watch.

"Put on. Put—on—belt."

After Bright nodded and repeated the words, Win undid the buckle.

"Win take off belt."

He handed the belt ends to Bright and stepped away. Bright tried the actions for himself. Then he looked up at Win with a grin.

"Put on. Take off."

"Yes," Win nodded.

Bright let the belt slide from around his waist and dangle from his hand as he closed the distance between them again, stepping right into personal territory. 

Win held his breath as Bright looped his arms around his waist to get the belt in place, his skin softly brushing against Win's here and there. He could feel the hot air from Bright's open mouth caress his neck and chest. 

Bright's fingers brushed against the skin just above his underwear and it was all Win could do not to moan at the contact. How many years had he yearned for the touch of another man there? Fastening the buckle quicker than before, Bright stepped back to admire his handiwork. He nodded slowly.

"Yesss?" He repeated the nodding motion.

Win nodded back, "Yes."

Then Bright put his hands in front of himself like he was bracing.

"No?"

Win mirrored the gesture, recognizing the motion from when he'd pushed Bright away earlier. He stepped away with one foot for good measure.

"No."

Bright nodded his understanding.

"Take off belt Win, yes?"

At Win's nod, he grinned and strode back to undo the accessory. Tossing it away, he pulled Win by the neck to where the berries were and pushed him to sit. 

Bright dropped down next to Win, and grabbed one of his legs to pull it toward him, returning to his task of working on the injuries. 

As he worked, he asked how to say certain things. Win taught him "heal", "stomach", "chest", "shoulder", "neck," and "cheek". 

Bright moved on to the other leg and worked quietly for a bit before asking about "feet" and "legs". Win also threw in "shin" and "thigh", and, much to Win's embarrassment, the jungle man was about to ask about _that._

Win smacked Bright's hand away with a yelp, coughing quickly to make it less obvious.

"No," he coughs again. “Not that.”

"No?"

Bright's eyes seemed to be struggling between portraying shock and amusement. Then he broke out in a flurry of excited movement, one hand tapping fingers against Win's cheek. Win felt like the air had been snapped out of his lungs.

Bright's smile in that moment was stunning.

"Cheek! Cheek name?"

Win just blinked at him. Bright asked again, this time trailing his fingers over Win's ear and down his neck too. Win shook his head, shivering under the touches.

"I don't understand."

Frustrated, Bright reached out his other hand to Win's pelvis, and again, Win reflexively pushed his hand away, glancing towards his pants, feeling his blush get heavier—

"Cheek! Name?"

Win looked up at his companion, realization dawning.

"Blush? Th-that's a blush."

"Blush..." Bright trailed off, looking up for a moment, before stumbling into what he wanted to say next. "Bright—" the man stopped again to think, chewing his bottom lip in concentration. He made eye contact and tried one more time, "Bright... Win blush."

Win stared blankly. Bright made a few disgruntled noises, obviously annoyed by not having the words to express himself, and went back to treating Win's leg quietly, moving his mouth as he silently recited the words he'd learned so far.

When he finished, he stood up, and gave Win an impatient look. "Belt shirt pants put on."

"Clothes." 

At Bright's confused look, Win motioned to all the items mentioned in a circular gesture. 

"Belt shirt pants are named clothes."

Bright nodded.

"Win put on clothes."

No sooner did Win shrug on his shirt and glance around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, that he realized it was almost an hour ‘til his unfortunate run in with the monkeys.

_Oh shit, his mother and Luke!_

“Bright, how am I going to get down?”

“Down?” 

Win pointed far below. “Down.”

Bright stood, and reached out, grabbing Win. “Down.” 

Bright jumped down, Win clutching tight as he let out a wordless yelp, eyes squeezed shut.

“Win,” Bright nudged him. “Down.”

Win cracked one eye open. “Well. It would seem so.” He straightened up, sighing at the state of his suit as he tried to fix the sopping fabric. A shot rang out, and he gasped, looking up. “Ah! Luuuuuke!”

“Lu-ke?” Bright imitated the noise of the shot.

“Yes, Luke. Oh, mother will be terribly worried. Can you take me there?” Win said, pointing in the direction that the shot had come from.

“Luke,” Bright nodded, and lifted Win in his arms again, reaching for a vine.

“Wait, wait! Can’t we just walk!” Win yelped once more, clutching Bright as they swung through the forest.

“Luke,” Bright said, setting Win down only a few moments later.

Win cleared his throat. “No. This is camp,” he turned around, and then gasped. “Gorillas!” He stared around, seeing the miscellaneous animals currently destroying the camp.

Bright dropped down onto the ground, making his way over, making careful noises as he did. One of the gorillas moved forward, responding in kind, and giving a huff, gesturing away as she sat back on her haunches.

Bright went to reply, only to pause as a large silverback came into view from the trees, giving a low growl.

Win took a few paces backward, gasping as he did.

The gorillas all backed away, disappearing into the trees with worried noises. 

Suddenly, Bright replied with a growl of his own, raising up to shield Win, giving what seemed a loud explanation.

_What the hell is happening?_

The silverback snarled, and jerked his head toward the trees. Bright snorted, and fell back to his fists, bowing his head, slowly following the gorilla away.

“Bright?” Win said quietly. “You...you’re one of them.”

Bright paused, and looked over his shoulder at him. “Heart-beat. One of them?” he asked, cocking his head.

Win simply blinked as there was another loud rifle shot. Bright quickly hurried into the trees, lost in the shadows of the leaves and vines once more.

* * *

“Win! My son!”

“Master Opas-iamkajorn!”

“Win! where are you? Win, oh, Win, oh thank goodness!” 

Win didn’t react to the voices, still staring into the trees. He jolted into awareness only as mother captured him in an embrace.

“What happened to the camp?” Luke asked wryly, looking around at the mess left by the gorillas.

“Are you all right, my son? We've been everywhere looking for you. “

Win cleared his throat, turning and gesturing wildly at the camp. 

“I was walking after you and then... I was—little baby—little baby monkey, and went to sketch a picture. Suddenly the monkey started crying, and I turned around and there's a whole fleet of them! There's an army of monkeys, a huge tree full of them, screaming at me! Suddenly, I was swinging in a vine, up in the air, swinging, flying, I was in the air. And we were all surrounded. And then! I was saved by a wild man in a loincloth!”

“A loincloth?” mother drew back. “Good heavens.”

“Yes! And he walks like a gorilla. He bends his elbows out like this, khun-mae, and then he walks like this. Oh shit, where is that chalk?” Win muttered, kneeling down to pick out a piece from the rubble, going over to the chalkboard. “Look, see.”

“Oh, I do believe you, son. He walks just like Aunt Isabel,” mother exclaimed. “Oh, this is wonderful. What a discovery! A man with no language, no human behaviour.”

“And absolutely no respect for personal boundaries,” Win huffed, tossing the chalk down.

“What do you mean?”

“He was this close to me, khun-mae! Running his hand over my neck!” Win huffed. “And, and he seemed so...confused at first.”

“Confused?”

“Yes,” Win paused, and leaned down, taking the chalk again. He went back to the board, chalking in the eyes of the drawing. “He seemed confused at first, as if he's never seen another human before. His eyes were intense, and focused and…” Win paused, setting the chalk down gently, staring at the drawing he’d completed. “I've never seen such eyes. This dark black. They were...so deep, khun-mae.”

“Oh, I see. And shall I leave you and the chalkboard alone then?” mother asked with a small smirk.

Win scowled, and swiped his hand over the board. “The point is, think of what we could learn!”

Win’s mother gasped at that. 

“You're right, Win. We must find him. Think of what he could teach us!”

Luke cleared his throat, finally looking up from where he was cleaning his gun. 

“Professor, you are here to find gorillas, not indulge in some childish fantasy. We must focus!”

“Fantasy? I didn't imagine him!” Win glared at the man. “And I’m hardly a child at twenty years of age! Bright is very much real!”

Suddenly, Win heard rustles of the leaves. And then finally, he saw him.

“I think it’s more likely you got a concussion than saw a ‘jungle’ man.”

“Oh, really?” Win gestured, arching his brow. “Turn around.”

“What?” Luke spun. 

Bright cocked his head and then stood, looking past the man at Win and his mother. He moved, and Luke shouted, gun swinging up.

“No! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Win lunged, and the gun went off, shooting harmlessly into the air.

“Luke.”

Luke paused. “Do I know you? How does he know my name?”

Win sighed. “He thinks it means the sound of a gunshot.”

Bright grinned, moving over to Win, and then standing again, reaching out to cradle the man’s face in his hands. “Win.”

“Yes, hello, mmm, Bright,” Win said, cheeks going a bit red.

“I see what you mean about those personal boundaries,” mother chuckled. “He could be the missing link, Win!”

“Or our link to the gorillas,” Luke said, rubbing his chin. “Yes.. you. Wild man. Where are the gorillas?”

“Gorillas?” Bright cocked his head again.

“Go-rill-as? Where are the gorillas!” Luke snatched the chalk up, drawing a crude outline. “Gorillas!”

Bright shook his head. “Go-rill-as.”

Luke shook his head. “Go-rill-a!”

“He doesn’t understand you, Luke. Shouting won’t do any good.”

“If I can teach a parrot to sing God Save the Queen, I can—”

“I’ll take it from here,” Win interrupted, pushing past him, and ignoring the scowl he got. 

“Bright. Come here,” he beckoned after a second, and Bright eagerly followed, mother looking after the pair with an amused look on her face.

“Tent,” Win said, lifting the flap for him.

“Tent,” Bright mimicked, lifting the other side with a smile.

Win matched his smile, and then cleared his throat. “Yes, very good. Come along.” 

* * *

Win ducked inside the tent, and Bright dropped down to his knuckles, wandering in after him. He paused as his hand nudged a book, and he prodded at it, looking up at Win.

“That is a book,” Win said, turning. He hesitated, then sat down on the ground, opening the book up. “Pirate stories.”

“Pirate?” Bright asked, scooting closer, and running his fingertips over the page. He made a noise of surprise, leaning down to sniff the pages. “Heartbeat!”

Win smiled. “Do you like… heartbeat?”

“Like?” Bright thought for a moment and nodded.

“If you like things… if things are good, you say, I like that. Or that is good. Not heartbeat,” Win explained slowly. “Do you understand?”

Bright ran his knuckles over the book again, and then looked at Win. “I like...book?” he asked hesitantly.

Win smiled. “Yes. I do as well.”

Bright grinned. “I like heartbeat,” he said, pressing his hand to Win’s chest. “I like book. I like tent!”

“Is that all?” Win asked, just to make sure the man understands him.

Bright cocked his head. “I like.. Win,” he nodded. “Win is good.” 

_Oh._

Bright leaned forward, pressing their cheeks together. “Pirate?” he questioned, pushing at the book.

“Yes,” Win pulled slightly away, cheeks starting to turn red because of Bright’s previous words. “Pirates.”

* * *

Win started to read slowly, showing Bright the pictures and letters. Bright copied him, shaping his mouth to match Win’s.

Eventually, Win closed the book. 

“Sorry. I have to stop. I’m getting tired.”

“Tired?” Bright glanced outside, and made a little noise. “Tired.”

Win cocked his head. “Tired. Night time,” he pointed out of the tent, copying the noise Bright had made.

Bright grinned. “I like!” He reached for the book, ignoring Win’s protests as he flipped open the pages, and then shoved it back, pointing at a picture. “Name?”

Win smiled. “Those are stars,” he said. “Stars.”

Bright nodded. “St-ars,” he murmured. He looked up, and smiled. “Stars?” He reached out, tugging on Win’s hand. “Come. Stars. I like stars!”

“Bright, I really am, oi!”

Looks like he didn’t have a choice seeing the twinkle in Bright’s eyes, so he finds himself letting Bright yank him out of the tent, and across the camp.

“Win, where are you going?” mother called.

“I’m not entirely clear on that myself, khun-mae!” Win called back, gasping as Bright swung him up into his arms, and then clambered eagerly up one of the nearest trees. “Bright! Where are we going?”

“Stars,” Bright replied, pushing aside a few leafy branches. 

* * *

After a few minutes, Bright set Win down on a wide limb, and then smiled. 

“Look,” he reached up, pulling some of the tree cover away. “Stars.”

Win gasped, and sat down, staring up. “Yes, stars.” 

The sky was swirled with deep hues of blue and violet, specked with threads of shimmering white stars. Hesitantly, Win reached up, wanting to try to touch even though he knew better.

Bright gave a content sigh, and sat beside him. “Like these,” he said, looking at Win, touching his cheek. “In these, you stars,” he pointed at Win’s eyes.

“Eyes,” Win said faintly, tearing his gaze away from the sky to look at Bright. “Stars in my… eyes?”

Bright nodded, and brushed his knuckles over Win’s cheek. “Yes. It is good.”

Win blushed again. 

“I know you don’t understand what you’re saying, but it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.”

Bright rolled his eyes and thought for a moment. “Bright… understands. Bright doesn’t have words. Win teach. Bright speak,” he gave Win a long look, and then a small smile. “Bright teach. Win speak.”

Shocked, Win gave a nod. 

“Ye… yes. Okay. I will learn. I will teach you.”

“I will learn,” Bright parroted. He gave a large grin, and then laid down, putting his head on Win’s lap. 

“Night time,” he said quietly. “Stars I like.”

For the first time in his sheltered life, Win felt contentment in the presence of a stranger in a strange place.

* * *

“If we keep on like this, I’ll run out of books. We’ve gone through nearly fifty in the last month,” Win said. “What book today, Bright?”

Bright looked around in interest. “Win’s favourite please,” he said, smiling. “I want to know.”

“Well, I don’t have a favourite.”

“Everyone has a favourite. You are my favourite stranger. The stars book is my favourite book. The banana is my favourite vegetable.”

“A banana is a fruit,” Win corrected. “Well… I suppose I can show you the books I bought specifically for myself.”

“Ok-ay,” Bright smiled, and followed him over to a different tent. “Win?”

“Yes?” Win asked, bending down, and fetching a case from under the bed.

“Why do you not share a tent with Luke or with khun-mae? Why do you sleep in this and not something with leaves?” Bright prodded at the mattress.

“Well,” Win said, kneeling back with a huff of exertion. He wiped his brow off. “So damned humid here.”

“You wear too much clothing,” Bright shrugged, turning to him. “Why a separate tent?”

“Mm, well…” Win wet his lips as he stared at the strong thigh that was currently inches from his face. “Well…”

Bright squatted down, looking him in the eyes. 

“Tent?” he asked again.

“There are certain things that a young man wishes to have privacy for,” Win replied hurriedly. “And after a while, khun-mae’s attention can become overwhelming and Luke is an overall nice person but he’s a bit... bothersome, so it was a simple choice to bring an extra tent.”

“Privacy?” Bright asked. “What is that?”

“Well, it’s… being alone with yourself sometimes,” Win sat back. “being able to think, and look at the world around you. Peaceful, hopefully. It is private. Just you and your mind and what you love.”

“I understand this. I will show you my privates,” Bright said excitedly.

Win’s cheeks reddened at the innocent mistake in his statement. 

“Oh, no! No, no, not today I don’t think,” he said quickly, clutching at the strap locking the box.

“Later,” Bright nodded. “Why does Win not sleep on leaves?”

“Because I sleep in a bed.”

“It looks so strange. Uncomfortable.”

“Well, instead of insulting it, why don’t you try it?” Win said, sighing as he searched the tent for the key to his bookbox.

“Try it,” Bright shrugged, and climbed carefully onto the bed. “This is still strange.”

“Lie down, Bright.”

Bright obeyed, gasping as he sank into the mattress. 

“Oh. Soft! Like sand.”

“But far less gritty,” Win replied, successfully unlocking the strap and removing a book. He stood up, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Do you like it?”

“Yes,” Bright gave a content groan. “I can sleep?”

“I thought we were going to read? But we can sit in here, though it is dreadfully hot, and I’ll read.”

“Bright said before. Take off clothes,” Bright scratched at his chest, giving a little yawn.

Win cleared his throat. “No, I’m fine. Let’s see. This book is one we give to children. I’ve had it for a very long time. Would you like to try to read it?”

Bright grinned, and sat up. “Yes. Win can help.”

* * *

Most of the time though, they’re outside—Bright introducing him to various facets of the jungle.

“Where are we going?” Win asked when Bright repeatedly shook him while he’s still sleeping.

There’s a pleading tone on the other boy’s voice when he said, “Morning. Eat with Bright?”

Win can’t help but nod in response.

Later, Bright found food for them to eat as he led Win through the jungle, stopping here and there to climb a tree for some fruit, crawl into a bush for some berries, or dig in the ground for questionable-looking, but rather tasty roots.

As they made their way through the forest, Win also taught Bright new words. "Tree," "flower," "fruit," "sky." 

By the time Win was feeling full from all the grazing, he was starting to forget which words Bright already knew and which he had yet to teach, especially since Bright seemed incredibly adept at extracting words from Win's casual speech and inferring their definitions. He'd managed to figure out "like" on his own. After Win explained "don't like," and then a few minutes later "want," Bright also puzzled together "don't want."

Win found his mind reeling at this discovery of aptitude, especially since, whenever Bright wasn't reciting words, he was talking to himself in what was a distinctly ape-like language. Win was starting to piece together the unlikely theory that Bright grew up in the forest away from the cultural influence of even the small town Chiangrai was from.

His mother’s whole expedition was to survey certain sites for possible excavations in the future, to support a theory he had about human development. 

Win wasn't an anthropologist or an archaeologist, but his head spun from the feeling that he was learning more about mankind, and what exactly it was capable of, than anything his mother could read in the ashes of old hearths and extract from old trash piles. 

Right now, walking next to Bright, listening to him softly label the world around them, Win felt that he might be the only person in the world that was privy to a crucial secret about human destiny.

It occurred to Win, after they crossed a shallow river, that Bright had stopped looking for food and was moving as if he was tracking something. Bright's attention completely otherwise occupied, Win let his eyes wander over powerful muscles.

Bright stopped abruptly, and Win snapped his head up guiltily. There were noises coming from up ahead. Leaning over to see past Bright's shoulder, he saw—

Win snapped his gaze away. 

Bright laughed and turned to him, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him forward. His finger pointed excitedly at two rodent-like animals rutting in a shallow burrow.

"Win! Name?"

Win sputtered.

"Th-that-s—" he heaved a breath through his lungs bracingly, "God, that's sex, Bright. Sex," he kicked himself for not saying something more abstract. Maybe "procreation."

"Sex..." Bright rolled the word on his tongue. He turned to Win with a grin, and then stopped short with a look of surprise. It was short-lived, however, as another grin, this one much more mischievous pulled his lips wide.

"Win blush," and then, with an excited glimmer of recognition, "Bright like Win blush."

Win was stunned. That's what Bright had been trying to say a month ago? 

He sputtered a little, glared a little, but found no response, so he shrugged Bright's hand off his neck and marched forward, past the fornicating animals. 

Bright gave a short giggle and pushed past him to lead the way once more.

The sky was starting to turn a pale orange, the way it did every evening as the sun began the last part of its descent. Soon it would turn red, and then fade out to a deep purple before turning black for the night, leaving Win far away from the security of his fellow hikers and alone in the wilderness with a stranger. A, so far, rather kind stranger, but—

He heard noises. 

His spirits immediately perked up, and he waded two large steps with the intent to break out into a run when Bright's arm snapped out in front of his waist and held him back.

Bright leveled him with a serious look.

"No."

After that, they traveled slowly, with Bright intently listening to the animal commotion up ahead. Soon, they could see the glow of the firelight gently pulsing through the darkening foliage. Bright stopped and turned to look at Win. His hand reached out to loosely hold Win's forearm.

"Win..." he struggled with his words for a moment, rolling his eyes skyward as they narrowed in concentration, "Bright leave."

W-what? He’s leaving?

“What do you mean, you’re gonna leave me?” he panicked a bit, not knowing why he’s feeling like this in the first place.

Bright dipped his head thoughtfully, looking like he was going to say something else, but then shook his head, looking a little frustrated. 

“Family needs Bright now. Bright meets family. Soon, meet Win again.”

“Oh, okay,” he nodded. “Take care.”

Bright sighed and looked into Win's eyes, studying him for a moment.

Then, he leaned in.

Win barely bit back a yelp as Bright's nose brushed against the side of his. He kept expecting warm lips on his own, but Bright only nuzzled him deeply, pushing hard enough against Win's face that he had to step back to brace himself. 

When it didn't look like Bright was going to stop anytime soon, Win let his eyes slip shut and returned the favor, brushing forehead, nose, and cheek against him. He sighed at the rather intimate and pleasurable farewell. 

He heard the sticky telltale sound of Bright grinning and then the next moment, the man was pulling away.

Once more confronted with Bright's gaze, Win gulped. His lips tingle at the dissatisfaction. What would it be like, if he just—

Win leaned forward and pecked Bright on the cheeks.

Bright looked a bit like he wanted to smile but was too genuinely touched by Win's gesture to manage.

"Kiss."

Then Win pivoted on his heel, feeling Bright’s warm fingers slip off his arm, and sprinted towards the firelight.

* * *

Two weeks have passed, and Win is feeling down. He doesn’t know why, but he has this inkling it has something to do with Bright being away from him. 

After all, they were attached at the hip everyday since he arrived at Chiangrai. He almost had a bad thought—what if Bright never shows himself again?

Win tries to ignore his overthinking mind by spending one Tuesday morning making up to his mom for the lost time since he’s pretty much alone with Bright, teaching him about the world. 

He could feel that his mom wanted to ask him more about Bright, but he’d already told her everything that was strictly necessary about him—the way he hadn’t spoken for years, the way he'd taken care of Win’s injuries and fed him, the way Bright could pick up knowledge cues so well. 

Win had wanted to ask if his mom maybe knew something about Bright, but it was then that Luke had started speaking loudly and pompously about how Bright must have hit his head a lot harder than he'd realized, and that the man was obviously some sort of native villager that must have had limited exposure to the world before, and his mom had seemed to visibly close off to the conversation. 

Win just rolled his eyes at Luke’s attempt to shade Bright.

His mom, however, had seemed to sense that he had a lot more to spill than he was volunteering. The most trying question of all had come from during breakfast.

“So, did he say anything when he left you? I doubt ape-men shake hands as farewell.”

Win had thought he was going to melt through the log he was sitting on he was so flustered by the question. He’d stammered out a response about how Bright had managed to string together well wishes, but his mom had stared at him like he had grown a second head. 

At his numb “What?” she’d only shook her head with curiosity and muttered “Nothing, luuk.”

Win could feel her eyes boring into both of his temples, like they were hoping to stare holes through his skull and into the inner workings of his mind.

“I’m fine, khun-mae. I’ll… do some more research regarding the rare orchids we found first, talk to you later.”

Win started walking faster, a blush creeping on his cheeks as he remembered his last encounter with Bright.

* * *

Another week later, and Win still couldn’t keep his mind from wandering, thinking about the kiss.

First of all, there were the ethics of the kiss. Sure, it was only on the cheeks, but he totally kissed a man who had no idea of the implications of the gesture. 

Win would even go so far as to say that he took advantage of the man’s ignorance on the subject to live out a fantasy that no one in his regular life would ever have to know about. That was part of Bright’s allure, after all. He was entirely separate from Win’s life back in Bangkok, and kissing him would not have any repercussions for his social life.

Secondly, there was the dissatisfaction of the kiss. He’d finally gotten a taste of fantasy, and that was it. The end. After this, he’d go back to his lonely apartment, his boring internship at a wildlife news company, his desperate concealment of his sexuality, and the kiss would fade from memory. 

Each year, his cheeks will get a little less warm, a little less soft, until the memory that that remains is just as fabricated as the daydreams he’d had before he came on this trip. 

Win Metawin Opas-iamkajorn would die as the man who’d only ever mustered up the courage for one small kiss on the cheeks.

Lastly, but most importantly, there was the actual memory of the kiss to pore over. Not just the kiss, but the nuzzling that had led up to it and all the touches throughout the day. 

Win’s breath caught in his lungs, his heart beating wildly in his chest like it was struggling to break free as he thought about Bright’s smooth skin. His long lashes blinking against the bridge of his nose. The light scrape of Bright’s nails against his lower abdomen as he fiddled with the belt buckle. The way his thumb had lingered on Win’s lower lip, tugging it down gently into a pout. 

Win could see and feel all of these memories distill into one single scene, a thrilling vision, and all he could think about was he should’ve asked Bright if he’s also feeling the same way.

What was he feeling, though? He knows he’s attracted to Bright, but does it matter in retrospect, when he’s not even sure if the other man understands the concept of attraction? 

And a more pressing matter is that, if it’s only attraction he’s feeling for him, why does he miss him so freaking bad? To the point he finds himself anticipating his return every single day?

That was how he ended up being wide awake in the middle of the night, eternally grateful that he has his own tent.

He listened to the snores of the other tent campers, which is basically his mother and Luke, and watched the glowing logs of their fire for a long time before he mustered the courage to gently worm out of the mattress.

Win put his boots and shirt on with as much speed as he could without sacrificing stealth. Carefully, watching out for any branches that might snap underfoot, he made his way to the edge of the clearing, and snuck out of the light of the campfire. Once past the first few trees and confident that no one would see him, which might cause his mother to worry about him again and ask questions, he turned his attention on trying not to run into any danger.

He didn’t dare stray too far away—as soon as he saw that the light behind him was starting to disappear, he backtracked. He looked around and found a smooth looking tree he could lean up against. 

Win pressed his hands to it, squinting in the darkness as he checked for any spiders or snakes that might be a problem. Seeing nothing of the sort, he turned around and pressed his back to it, swallowing anxiously.

Now that he was here, he threw caution to the wind, letting his eyes flutter shut as he finally let his mind wander to Bright.

Win misses him a lot.

_Where are you? When are you coming back?_

“Come back,” he whispers a few minutes later, letting his sadness and yearning and ugly pining for a wild man of the jungle take him away. “The jungle isn’t the same without you.”

“Win.”

Win nearly jumped out of his skin. Nearly screamed. His eyes snapped open and looked towards the speaker.

A sliver of campfire light catching on his face, Bright stood between the trees directly in front of him.

“Hi.”

Win didn’t mean to get emotional, but he felt so happy the man he’s been thinking about is finally here to the point he looked up at the night sky, trying to blink away the gathering blurriness in his eyes.

Suddenly, Bright’s calloused fingertips brushed against his ears, and Win made himself look down to find himself looking into bright, worried eyes. 

“Win sad?” 

Win shook his head.

“No, Win is happy you’re back.”

A tear of joy escaped down Win’s cheek, and Bright reverted to quiet ape-like hooting, his hands seemingly trying to both console him and avoid touching him altogether. 

Unable to contain the force of his crisis any further, Win fell forward into that muscular chest and let himself hug the boy, rubbing his face into his skin. 

“Welcome back.”

Bright continued cooing, arms coming to rest in a barely-there halo around Win’s shoulders before finally solidifying into a solid embrace.

Win’s fingers pressed against powerful core muscles, tracing the neat folds of skin covering those tight abdominals. As he grounded himself on Bright’s body, he opened his eyes and remembered the first time he’d almost touched Bright’s chest, only minutes after meeting him, pulling his hand away because this chest was not his to touch. 

He tilted his head now to look at the other man’s eyes, who was staring at him firmly.

“Kiss?” Bright whispered earnestly, his bambi eyes shining so bright in the moonlight.

Win has a choice to back off, to ignore the ‘stomachache’ he’s been feeling for almost a month now.

_But why would he, when he could be happy and free?_

So Win leaned in, hands bracing against Bright’s warm chest, and kissed him on the cheeks.

* * *

Win watched Bright repeat the complicated hand motions that he was trying to use as an explanation the next morning in his tent.

“So the gorillas are your family.”

Bright shrugged like he’s saying, _“Fine, yeah, sure—if you say so.”_

Win just laughed at the obvious sassiness the other boy is exhibiting lately.

“...and you were going for a fun walk?”

Bright smiled and huffed a small frustrated breath. He mimicked walking.

“Is walk,” then he pointed up, motioning from tree to tree. “Is called?”

“Umm… Oh—swing,” And then, just to be clear, he motioned climbing, “Climb—” and then mimicked swinging the way he saw the gorillas and Bright travelled once, “Swing.”

Bright nodded, happy with the new vocabulary. Then he, not at all subtly, pushed into Win’s space. 

Win fell backwards and he found himself shocked when he saw Bright staring at him intensely.

Obviously picking up on Win’s concerns, Bright lowered his head and whispered something he can’t quite catch on.

“Hey,” Win prodded, touching Bright’s face. “What is it?”

Bright looked at Win again, his bambi eyes making Win’s knees feel weak.

“Kiss okay?”

_Oh._

Win gulped and nodded. 

Bright smiled widely, his eyes twinkling when he pulled Win to him again, determined to carry out whatever he had in mind. 

He kissed Win on the cheeks, once… twice… multiple times. It’s almost quite like the act of… sniffing. 

Is he even aware of what it means when you give someone a sniff kiss in Thailand? 

By the time Bright stepped back, Win’s mind was reeling, and not only because he needed air. He’s keenly aware that Bright’s hand was still pressed against his cheek and that he could drag him close once more. 

Except, the other man is staring at his lips now.

“Name on mouth?”

Win tilted his head to the side, his brow creasing. He didn't know what Bright was asking, but he thinks he knows.

“It’s still ‘kissing’.”

Bright nods and perks his head up, breathing in slowly.

“Kiss okay?”

Win’s eyes darted downward to look at them, despite trying his hardest to ignore them. He doesn’t know why he’s feeling this way, but he was, and he knew exactly what for. He watched Bright’s pink tongue dart out across his bottom lip, and the skin shone, wet and inviting.

His heart was beating as loud and fast as the drums, his body straining to get closer, closer to Bright, closer…

Until he heard someone knocking on his tent.

“Win, are you awake?”

Fuck, Luke’s timing is the worst!

“Win?” Luke prodded again. “I need to talk to you. Are you with the wild man?”

Bright eased himself partly off Win and sat down beside him at the bed, getting a book from his trunk while never removing his eyes from him.

“Bright read. You open tent.”

Win coughed to ease the tension and nodded, his legs shaking a bit.

* * *

“Win, you don’t understand.”

Win huffs at that, staring blankly at Luke.

“Understand what? He still needs time.”

“We've wasted all this time on what he wants. The boat could arrive any day! I personally want to go back to Bangkok as soon as possible. Now ask him straight out,” Luke snapped, gesturing at Bright.

Bright looked up from the book he was reading. 

“Ask Bright… ask me what?”

Win sighed, and went over to him, kneeling on the ground.

“Bright. We came here to see gorillas. To study them, and learn about them,” he sighs. “Will you take us to them? Do you understand?”

Bright frowned, gently closing the book. “I… understand.”

“Will you do it then?”

“I can’t,” Bright shook his head.

“What! Why not!” Luke threw his hat down, storming over. “Now you listen—”

Win threw Luke an icy glare, cutting him off. 

“Bright,” he said gently. “Why can’t you?”

“Nadech,” Bright shook his head, and handed the book gently to Win. He then got up, leaving the tent and quickly disappearing without a glance back at the other man.

“Bright—” Win looked at where he’d gone, and sighed.

“Nadech? What does that even mean?” Luke growled, throwing his hands up. “Fine! He won’t take us, we’ll track them ourselves. I’ll tell your mother we are leaving tomorrow morning,” he huffs. “I suggest you pack your field bags. The boat could come any day now, and I’m not leaving without a gorilla.”

“You do mean without seeing one, don’t you?” he said, giving him a strange look.

“Yes. Seeing one,” Luke gave him a cunning smile. “Don’t worry.”

After Luke left his tent, Win picked up the book Bright was reading, smiling as he realized it was one of his guilty pleasure books, a romance story that Bright must have fetched from the box. 

He tucked it away, and got out his journal, planning to go sketch some of the local flowers.

* * *

It was after two hours when Bright came back. 

“Win?”

Win looked up, smiling a bit as Bright swung over to land beside him on the wide tree branch. “I thought you were avoiding me.”

“No. Bright avoids Lu-ke. Do not trust Lu-ke like Win or khun-mae. But Lu-ke left.”

“Yes, well, he was the only one willing to come this way with us,” Win set aside his book, hiding it under his leg, only for Bright to pick it up.

“I like this one. They say heartbeat a lot,” Bright showed off the book, smiling. “Win doesn’t read this to Bright.”

“It’s… not an appropriate book to read,” Win said, snatching it back quickly.

“Because they mate in this book?”

Win flushed deeply, clearing his throat. “Yes. Yes, they do.”

“Are khun-mae and Lu-ke mates?”

“Oh my god, no!” Win found himself wheezing. “No.”

All of a sudden, Bright leveled him with a serious look.

“Are Lu-ke and Win mates?”

Win shook his head. “No. I mean, he admitted he liked me a year ago, but… I never really liked him.”

“Win not like Luke?”

“Yes.”

All of a sudden, Bright broke out in a giant grin.

“Bright happy.”

What the other boy said caused something inside him. He knew the feeling—the burning in his face when something startled or embarrassed him, but it wasn’t until he saw it on Bright’s face that he realized that the heat was a visible phenomenon.

Fuck, he likes him, and it’s not only in his wildest dreams.

Bright moved to lean against the tree beside Win. 

“Is Win mated?”

Win shook his head quickly. “No.”

“No? Why not? Win is pretty,” Bright looked at him in interest, leaning close. “Win is handsome. Why?”

“I… Well… I am not…” Win stammered, doing his best not to meet Bright’s gaze.

“Win hasn’t found a good mate. That’s okay. But Win has mated before, yes? You are not child.”

Win swallowed. “No, I’m not.”

“Bright has not mated before. No one wants Bright because he is different. But Bright knows how,” Bright tapped the book where it rests on his thigh. “It is not like this.”

“I… wouldn’t know,” Win said faintly, still red, avoiding looking at Bright’s legs. “I… cannot… I do not go seeking mate-er… partners.”

“Why not?” Bright reached out, tipping Win’s chin to look at him. “Does… Win not want a mate?”

“No, I do, I just cannot... I...” Win lowered his eyes. “May I tell you a secret?”

“Yes. I will listen,” Bright smiled. “Do not tell others secret.”

Win took a deep breath. “I haven’t had a mate yet. I haven’t had one because… I think I don’t only like women.”

“Don’t like? But khun-mae is nice,” Bright said, confusion etched across his face.

“No, no. I don’t like… women only to mate,” Win inhaled quickly, looking at Bright. “I also like... men.”

“Oh. Why is that a secret? Many animals are like this too.”

“What?” Win drew back in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes. Bright also is like this,” Bright smiled. “I like Win. I think that he… you are pretty and handsome. I would be your mate.”

“Oh… oh,” Win blinked. “Bright. I don’t think... think that…”

Bright cocked his head, and reached forward, cupping Win’s face. “Why think? Just do.” 

Bright leaned in, and Win’s eyes slammed shut as their lips pressed together.

“Oh…” Win leaned in, hesitantly putting his hands on Bright’s shoulders. 

The thing about the kiss is that it's not desperate or passionate, and there's no explosion of weeks worth of pent-up emotion. 

_It's comfortable, quiet, and utterly beautiful in its own way._

Win gave a slightly muffled gasp as Bright’s tongue darted out, coasting the seam of his lips. He opened, tightening his grip on Bright, his tongue curling and twisting around the other tongue that wearily moved against his touch.

Bright left his lips for a second, smiled and nudged him back, then crawled closer to him to steal another kiss. 

“Win okay?”

“Very okay,” Win said breathlessly. He opened his eyes, looking up at Bright.

Bright nodded, and kissed him again, running his hand over Win’s leg. “Come with Bright later. Bright wants to show you something.”

He sat up, and Win sat with him. “What?”

“It’s a secret. My secret,” Bright kissed Win’s forehead. “I’ll come back later when the sun goes down. Win will like it,” Bright lifted the book from the leaves and set it in Win’s lap. “Yes?”

“Yes…” Win said quietly, watching him stand.

Bright nodded. “Good,” he grabbed a vine, smiled at Win, and then swung away.

Win took a few breaths, trying to calm his racing heartbeat, keenly aware of his transparent feelings for the other man.

* * *

“Will you at least tell me where we’re going?” Win asked, clutching to Bright as they swung through the trees a few hours later.

“It is Bright’s secret. Win will know soon,” Bright replied.

Win groaned. “Fine.”

They landed a little later, and Bright took Win’s hand. “Ready?”

“I might be if you told me where we were going.” 

Bright laughed. “You will like. It is the place I come to be private. Just me and my mind, and what I love. That is private, yes?”

“Well, that is what I said,” Win murmured, staring in shock as Bright pushed aside some vines hanging over what he’d thought was simply a rock front. 

Instead, there was a small pond, dragonflies flitting over the surface, and back over to the flowers on the surrounding trees. A ways off, there was a drop, looking out over the river and the beach, the small clearing lit a brilliant orange with the rays of the setting sun.

“The water comes from underneath,” Bright said. “It is cold. Feels good on hot days.” 

Bright tugged Win further in, the thick twisting vines hiding them away from the rest of the jungle.

“Bright. This is beautiful….” Win breathed.

“Yes. Just like Win. I want to show you,” Bright put his hand carefully on Win’s wrist, tugging him forward.

Win blinked as he was encircled in Bright’s arms, and they slowly sank to the ground. 

“Show me what?” he asked.

Bright smiled. “Show you you are beautiful. And then after, show you stars again. Let me? I know Win thinks of Bright at night.”

Win’s ears reddened at that. “Perhaps a bit.”

Grinning, Bright leaned forward, kissing Win. “Come swim.”

“Swim? Really, Bright, you must be joking!”

“No,” Bright stood, tugging his loincloth off and tossing it to the side.

Win cleared his throat, mouth suddenly dry as he watched Bright walk over to the water and slip in. “But...there must be bugs. Leeches. Flies!”

“No. The flowers keep the bad bugs away. They don’t like it,” Bright said, gesturing with his head toward the trees. “Come swim.” 

Bright leaned on the edge of the rocks lining the edge of the water, propping his head on his hands.

Win shifted, fidgeting with his shirt. “Look away while I undress.”

Bright rolled his eyes and turned away. “Too many clothes. Always sweaty,” he said, examining a different rock.

Win huffed. “Well some of us are a bit more used to civilized society,” he said as he undressed quickly, hands trembling just a bit.

“Only civilized to you. Bright is civilized to Bright. Gorillas have civilized too, just not like Win’s,” Bright said, stretching his hands above his head. “Different kinds of this thing.”

“Different, yes,” Win swallowed, slipping into the water. “This is freezing!”

Bright turned around with a smile. “No. Freezing is… on top of the mountains. You showed me that picture,” he said, swimming over to where Win was clinging to the rocks. A dragonfly darted between them, and Bright held out his hand, letting the coppery colored bug land on his palm. “Look. Cute like you.”

Win smiled. “I suppose it is.”

The dragonfly lifted and flew away, and Win suddenly gulped, realizing how close Bright was to him.

“Is my words getting better?” Bright asked, reaching out, and touching his shoulder.

“Yes. Much better.”

“That is because Win a good teacher. So maybe now… you should let Bright teach.”

“Teach me what?” Win asked, cock twitching despite the cold water.

“Teach you about mating,” Bright looked at him closely. “Bright will be good to Win,” he ran his hand up Win’s neck, thumb brushing over Win’s adam’s apple.

Win swallowed the lump in his throat. They both stared at each other for far too long, scanning each movement not sure of what to do, both feeling the awful tension building between them.

“What if I said no?” Win whispered.

“Then we just swim,” Bright shrugged, taking his hand away. “Don’t need to mate. Just like being with Win,” he smiles. “Make me happy.”

“We’re just so...” Win hesitated, then leaned forward, kissing him, “different,” he finished.

“That is okay. We teach each other. We are the same that way,” Bright sought out another kiss. 

Win sighed, and leaned into him. “We are both men,” he muttered, kissing Bright’s neck once.

“Yes.” Bright slid his hands over Win’s waist, coaxing his legs around him, rocking gently together in the water. Win’s breath caught, and he grasped Bright’s biceps, closing his eyes as he shifted his hips. “And I like men. I like Win,” Bright nipped at the man’s throat, drawing a gasp from Win. “I want to mate Win.”

Their lips met again, only for every doubt in his mind to be washed away like a wave removing messy handwriting on a shallow beach. It cleared his mind, leaving him both thoughtless and eager as the other man kissed him softly. 

Years of doubting himself, telling himself that there was no way he could be happy like this. And now here he was—kissing this man who came into his life unexpectedly, the hot sun beating down on their exposed shoulders, the cold water splashing between them.

Win whimpered into the kiss, desperately just wanted to be closer, rubbing against the boy.

“Fuck,” Win dropped his head back, panting slightly as his cock hardened even further, goosebumps covering his skin. “I want… yes, Bright. I want you to take me.”

Bright made a small noise, almost akin to a growl, and lifted, carrying Win from the water and toward the rock face, laying him on a pile of leaves.

Win propped himself up on his elbows, watching the water running down Bright’s chest with a keen, wide eyed interest. 

“Bright. You… you realize I’m not a female. If you want to… mate me, you know that we’ll need… oh fuck, how do I explain this...” He gave a frustrated groan.

Bright cocked his head, and reached out, taking a plant from the surface of the rock. “This works to mate. I like it. See?” He broke one of the thick leaves open, a clear sap oozing over his palm.

“That will do,” Win said wetting his lips.

Bright smiled, and reached down, stroking his cock with a low moan. 

Win hesitated, then reached out, touching his cock in interest, fingers dragging at his foreskin. “You’re bigger than I am.”

“Bright is not a gorilla. If Bright was, he would be silverback… leader,” Bright gave Win a pleased look, guiding his hand over the crown of his cock with a small groan, then batted his hand away. He reached for Win, stroking his cock.

Win bit back a whine at the heat of Bright’s hand on him, legs spreading automatically. Bright smiled, and nudged at Win’s hips. 

Win canted them up, and Bright pressed one, and then two slick fingers to his entrance, exploring and teasing as he did. 

“A-ah,” he moaned at that, head dropping down onto the leaves as Bright started to open him, the grassy scent of the plant mixing with their own musk.

Bright watched Win closely, interest and attraction bared to the slowly darkening sky as he rutted against the man’s thigh. 

“Beautiful Win,” he said roughly, pressing three fingers deep into him. “Mate now?”

“Oh god, please,” Win bit out, eyes open but unseeing in his pleasure. “Bright. T...take me. Mate me.”

Bright gave a small rumble, taking his fingers from Win, and kissing him deeply, claiming.

Win moaned against his lips, gasping as Bright pulled away, turning him onto his belly. “Yes.”

Bright tilted his head, pushing in with a slow groan. “Yes. Win. Mine.”

Win panted at the stretch, feeling his body open for Bright, taking in the thick member. His own cock was already dripping with precome by the time Bright began to thrust. He gripped at the ground, the leaves rustling and shifting under them as they moved. 

“Oh. Bright. Fuck. I can’t… so close.” 

Win bit his forearm in order to muffle the shout he knew was coming, the pressure welling in his lower stomach too much to ignore.

Bright grunted in understanding, shoving in harder. He moaned and only pressed closer to him, loving the feel of the hot, hard body against him.

Win cried out, coming in surprise as Bright struck something inside him. The other man leaned down, biting at Win’s shoulders, marking him. 

“Win,” He came, filling the man under him as Win tightened around in response.

They collapsed, Bright managing to pull out and lay beside Win on the ground, smiling. “Good?” he asked, finally catching a breath. “Win is okay?”

Win gave a sated groan, turning to press his face in Bright’s chest. “Next time… we do this in my bed.”

“Next time?” Bright asked with a smile, prodding him to turn over.

Win nodded, rolling onto his back and cuddling up to Bright. “Well… we may as well,” he said, cheeks coloring a bit, wondering just what he’d gotten himself into. “And I want to do it to you.”

“Yes. Bright wants to be mated. Bright wants Win mating him,” Bright smiled. “Now look.” 

Bright pointed up, the first stars sprinkled across the sky as the moon just rose above the tree branches.

Win smiled. “Beautiful.”

“Win’s eyes. Stars,” Bright said in agreement, resting his arm around Win. “Bright is… I am happy. With you.”

“I'm happy with you too,” Win whispered, tucking in just a bit closer.

* * *

Win was having a rough morning. It’s not that anything in particular was terrible. It was, rather, the opposite. Everything was wonderful and colorful and fragrant, and he wanted to stretch out in his bed and doze for a few more hours, dreams alight with pleasure and contentment.

Instead, he’d had an early morning full of interrogation as he sat through breakfast. Trying to keep a straight face turned out to be even more trying.

“You’re glowing,” his mother commented all of a sudden.

“I’m… what?”

“Glowing,” his mother enunciated with a smile. Beside her, Luke was watching him intently from where he was eating his breakfast.

Win sighed around a spoonful of gaeng kleua pla duk.

“Wouldn’t you be, khun-mae? If you’re miles away from a sad reality?”

That seemed to do the trick and his mom straightened and shook herself a little in comprehension. She didn’t bother him too much anymore, content with his answer.

Unfortunately, the next in line to question him is Luke, who is staring at him with an inscrutable expression.

"He must be quite a sight, your Ape Man," Luke said with a taunting smile.

Win’s heart almost stopped. "Why do you say that?"

"Running through the forest all day, probably fighting lions and crocodiles with his bare hands? In nothing but a loincloth? All sweaty and muscular and mostly naked? Quite a sight."

Win just barely kept his face in a steadily neutral expression. "Uh, yeah. I guess he didn't look like anyone you'd see back in Bangkok."

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really,” he snapped. “Also, why do you care?”

Luke shrugged. “Just curious.”

He wasn't sure what to make of Luke’s borderline lascivious comment, but he went back to his tent promising himself very carefully to not think too much about it. His own life is his alone, after all.

* * *

Win spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at the forest canopy away from camp, pleasantly daydreaming about Bright.

He very pointedly did not have any freak-outs about how last night had been the first time he’d ever touched a man, or been touched by one, or gone further into the territory of sexual exploration than he had ever hoped to, because that line of thinking, which would probably involve a lot of hyperventilating, would be impossible to hide from his other companions.

_Speaking of Bright, where is he?_

He kept thinking about how he told Bright he’ll let him return the favor, because he does. He really likes Bright, and he wanted him to come undone. 

Win wasn’t a mind reader, but it seemed to him that Bright thought of Win touching him as a privilege for himself. And that made him feel pretty damn special. He’d grin and bite his lip and blush every time the thought crossed his mind.

There was a disturbance in the leaves above. Win held his breath in a moment of anxiety. Then Bright’s head peeked out of the leaves, smiling down at him, and Win relaxed. 

Win’s hands went straight for Bright’s loincloth as they kissed their “hello.”

If absence made the heart grow fonder, then denial surely made the impulse more desperate. He thought of his hesitation last night, and felt a sense of loss at his innocence having been so quickly melted off. But Bright’s hands on his waist, tugging him closer, tighter—his eager grunts into Win’s mouth—had Win's heart pounding in exhilaration and he never wanted to go back. 

He never wanted to hide his true self again. He never again wanted the weight of inhibitions to weigh him down. At this moment, he was desired. He was pleasurable to someone who pleasured him.

The loincloth slid down Bright’s thigh, half tied around one leg, half trapped between their bodies, and he finally had his hand around Bright’s cock. He wanted to explore as he had last night, but more so, he wanted Bright to fall apart against him, and he wanted it now. His motions were rough and fast, only pausing to smear precome around. He wanted Bright to feel the same loss of control that Win had almost choked on earlier that evening.

He must have been doing something right, because Bright finally pulled away from his lips and whimpered—a wild, desperate look in his eyes.

“Bright wants Win. Please.”

As he gave a sharp squeeze that had Bright moaning outright, Win vaguely thought about how he should probably teach Bright the actual meaning of that word, as he was fairly certain that he’d never before used it outside of their sexual encounter.

Bright’s head rolled back, revealing his adam’s apple, working desperately as Bright swallowed. As Win lowered them both down to the forest floor and started on taking his shirt off, he swooped in to kiss that lovely bump. Then bite it. His mouth moved lower, tasting the salty sweat that had collected at the junction of Bright’s collarbones. 

At the first assault on his neck, Bright had jerked back reflexively, trying to bring his chin down to cover the vulnerable spot. But either he was so overcome with pleasure that he abandoned trying to defend himself, or his mind caught up with the situation and rationalized that Win probably wasn’t trying to kill him, because Bright let his head fall back again under the attention. 

He fisted both hands in Win’s hair, trying to grind his skin against Win’s teeth as they scraped lower.

“Win. Want Win.”

Win let him manhandle his head, and only moaned in appreciation of the eagerness. God, it felt good to be wanted by this man. He finally wrestled out of his sleeves and threw his shirt to the side. Then he sucked briefly on a nipple, which drew an almost wounded noise from Bright as he arched his back up. Win moved lower, wanting more. He licked into Bright’s bellybutton.

“Please!”

Win stopped his hand on Bright’s cock. Bright whined. “Win?”

He didn’t dare look up in case he got embarrassed and lost his nerve. He watched as his own hand slowly slipped out from around Bright. A small bead of precome squeezed out of the slit. It swelled in size before it finally broke surface tension and rolled out of sight down the head and onto Bright’s stomach. 

Bright’s abdomen was heaving as the man panted but otherwise stayed quiet, presumably watching Win curiously. His hands slipped out of Win’s hair. His cock twitched and another drop of precome squeezed out. Win dove after it, leaving a small kitten lick from frenum to slit before jerking away and looking up guiltily. 

Was this weird to him?

Bright was propped up on his elbows, and was staring back at him blankly, looking somewhat shell-shocked. Slowly, like he was worried about doing the wrong thing, he shifted his balance to just one arm and reached down with his hand to put his fingers on the back of Win’s neck. Slowly, and so gently that Win could pull away at any moment if he wanted to, he pushed Win’s head back down to his crotch, spreading his legs around Win’s face.

“Bright likes it.”

Win didn’t really need more encouragement than that. He lowered a kiss to the flesh of the shaft and sucked hard at it, going up and down the underside as Bright grunted and bucked. He dove down to lick at the skin and kissed those delicate folds and drew the skin between his lips just to know what it felt like. Just as he was inhaling his lover’s scent as deeply as he could, Bright’s hips bucked up violently.

Win pulled away grimacing and rubbing at his nose. In the same moment, Bright sat up to peer up into his face. He made a series of ape noises, petting Win’s face. Reading the apology on Bright’s face, Win kissed him.

“It’s fine. I’m fine.”

He kissed him again before he remembered what he had been doing moments ago and suddenly froze under Bright’s gaze, embarrassed after all. Bright stared back, his eyes searching Win’s.

Then he looked down at his own swollen cock, his eyes inquisitive.

“What is it called?”

Win groaned and looked off to the side. He side-eyed Bright and mumbled his answer before looking away again.

“What?”

Bright was cupping his own ear when Win looked back. He’d have to teach him things like, “I didn’t hear you,” sometime. He hesitated again.

“Win blushing again?”

Indignant at getting called out, Win shot Bright a glare but the man merely grinned back lazily as his hands reached out to draw Win closer, to massage his skin in an effort to reassure him.

“...it’s called… oral sex. Or…”

Win relaxed and let the discomfort ebb, looking around for what he could demonstrate and finally deciding to aim for Bright’s jaw. He ran his tongue as sensually as he could along the bone up to the joint, breathing hotly against the skin there. Bright shivered.

“That’s called licking. I licked your jaw. And this—” he mumbled as he let his lips travel to where neck met shoulder blade, “is called sucking.”

He pulled hard at the skin, letting his teeth scrape against it. He held the skin there for a bit, alternating between sucking hard and masticating on it, and just pulling it in gently with his lips wide. 

Bright moaned and held onto Win’s sides with trembling hands. When Win pulled away, he could just barely make out the flushed mark in the dark of the night. He met Bright’s gaze, which was now heavy and loaded with intent.

“Win touch Bright please?”

Win shook his head.

“Say—‘Win, I want you to touch me.’”

Bright spaced out as he processed the phrase for a moment. Win knew he must have registered the full meaning when his gaze got hungrier and his eyes locked onto Win’s again, his hand already steadily pushing Win towards his destination.

“Win, I want you to touch me.”

Win whimpered as a cold shudder ran down his spine and all four of his limbs. He dropped down between Bright’s legs again, mouth dry, and kissed the underside of the head. Picking it up in his hand, he kissed the tip this time, right on the slit. As he pulled away to look at his prize one last time before throwing all caution to the wind, he slipped his tongue out, tasting the moisture his lips had picked up from the tip.

Win pulled away for a moment to look up. He wanted to see Bright’s eyes. They were as big and beautiful as ever. Then he licked him again. Bright cried out. He licked again and again, and Bright’s legs rose to wrap around his head, his heels digging into Win’s back as he tried to push up against his mouth.

He let Bright take his pleasure for a while, lapping playfully against his cock that was so desperately humped against his face, bumping his lips, chin, and nose.

The increasing frequency of Bright’s cries had him suspecting that the man was likely to climax soon. He frowned, wanting to play a bit more.

Getting both hands firmly wrapped around Bright’s hips, he disentangled himself from Bright’s legs, wrestling his face out of reach.

Bright whined, and Win froze.

Bright’s face was open and earnest, his lips swollen. Even this far away from the fire, his face and chest were noticeably dark with a flush. His eyes were glossy with wetness, and a tear balanced and shimmered on his left lower lashes.

Win reached a finger under his eyelids to wipe the tear away. Bright looked more beautiful than ever before right now. And the pleading noise he’d made…

“Win. Please. Bright wants Win.”

“Yes...”

Win looked back down. The swollen cock was straining and twitching as if it had a life of its own. There was a mess of wetness on Bright’s stomach around it—a mixture of his saliva and Bright’s own.

He found himself unable to remember why he pulled away or what his plan had been. He dropped back down and sucked hard on the underside, right over the line of a large vein. Bright gasped like he’d jumped in cold water—high, hollow, and raspy—so, naturally, Win did it again.

Bright tried to shove his hips completely off the ground, feet firmly planted and body heaving itself up. Win had to gently pin him to the ground. Shifting his arms so he could hold himself up on his forearms against Bright’s hipbones, Win took the cap of Bright’s cock in his mouth and sucked. Hard.

Bright yelled but it came out muffled. Bright spared a glance up and found that he had both hands clamped tight over his mouth. He couldn’t help but chuckle against the flesh between his lips which earned him a yelp. As he sucked, Bright’s feet slowly slid out under him until his hips no longer had leverage to buck. Instead, Bright placed the balls of his feet into the small of Win’s back and melted under him, only rolling his hips now and then to ask for more pleasure.

Win, on the one hand, realized that Bright was about to come when the man’s back seized and contorted into an arch. On the other hand, he'd completely forgot what inevitably happens during orgasm. The hot come shooting down his throat surprised him so much he didn’t even pull away, just let his lips fall open and then stayed frozen in shock as waves of Bright’s come hit his tongue and rolled off.

When Bright finally stopped straining, Win finally ducked down to clean the mess up. He licked Bright completely spotless, which pulled some more moans and quivers from the other boy. Once Bright was reasonably clean, Win sat up and tried to clean off his own face, which was sticky all down his chin, and even down his throat. 

He was still pushing what was left of Bright into his mouth when Bright sat up and pulled him forward by his shoulders. Win tried to crawl forward, but Bright stopped his leg from travelling. 

After a bit more maneuvering, it finally became clear that Bright wanted Win to lie down on top of him.

Win carefully settled down, letting his legs splay on either side of Bright’s now closed thighs. He looked at Bright’s face to see if the man wanted to kiss, but Bright looked nervous and kept breaking eye contact. Win waited and watched as Bright tried a few times to say something, but nothing came out.

“Hey, you can talk to me.”

Finally, Bright reached down wordlessly. Win raised his hips to accommodate Bright’s hand that was trying to get between their hips. The hand—unsteady and fumbling—wrapped around Win’s cock and maneuvered it from where it was heavily resting next to Bright’s own to push it down between his tightly clenched thighs.

“Bright!”

The name spilled from his lips unexpectedly. The feeling of his cock being where it was, tightly held between Bright’s legs, just lightly brushing Win’s, was delightful. 

The man was a miracle. 

Win found himself drowning in Bright’s apprehensive, beautiful eyes. Bright’s features seemed to relax a bit, though there was still an unexplained tension in his shoulders, so Win kissed him to reassure him. 

It didn’t quite seem to work. He rolled his hips a bit, tighter into the heat of Bright’s thighs, wanting to explore this new kind of play. 

There was some kind of idea about Bright’s shyness forming in the depths of Win’s mind, but he wasn’t entirely sure what it was yet. His hips bucked again, seemingly of their own will. It felt so good to be like this. 

Win pulled his hips back slowly, enjoying the feeling of the skin covering his cock being pulled forward, before sliding back in with some speed. Adjusting his arms and legs for better leverage, he did this a few more times. Bright was lying completely still underneath him, though obviously trying to keep his legs tight around Win.

“Name?”

“This is… sex. Um… fucking. I’m…” Win paused and Bright could see his face flush wildly, “I’m fucking your thighs.”

“Bright like this.”

Win picked up pace and grunted his approval when Bright’s grip got tighter. Finally lifting himself from his forearms, Wint braced one hand on Win’s hip, the other on his shoulder, and managed to get an even more satisfying stroke. Bright whimpered underneath him and, just as Win refocused his sight on Bright’s stunning eyes, draped his hands around Win’s neck.

Win choked on pleasure.

The most incredible thing was how natural this felt. His hips moved easily without any input from him. Letting him do this was like an act of submission from Bright, considering the other boy is basically the king of the jungle. 

Win whined and let his hips snap so violently he was in danger of breaking either himself or Bright. His fingers dug into Bright’s skin as he reached his euphoria. Win moaned as he pushed his hips as hard against Bright’s thighs as they would go.

He could feel his come making a mess between Bright’s legs as his cock quivered and pulsed and his hips shook. It was an incredible thought—imagining what it would look like when Bright opened his legs again.

It seemed that Bright was also curious about that visual because as soon as Win had pulled out from between his legs, the man was opening his thighs, sitting up to take a look.

It looked every bit as delectable as Win had imagined. The majority of his come had spilled on the ground, but there were a lot on the insides and backs of Bright’s tanned legs.

Win groaned at the sight, running a hand through some of the come left, which made him pause for a second to think about his actions.

_What the fuck._

This isn’t him, this isn’t him. He’s not shy, but he isn’t too forward either, is he?

Win started backing away, turning around and getting ready to stand up. But then he caught a sight of Bright’s bambi eyes, looking at him earnestly and with…

_Oh._

He knows it might sound cheesy, but he’s not kidding when he says he saw a reflection of himself in Bright’s eyes.

“Bright wants Win,” the other boy whispers softly. “Bright wants Win fully.”

Win nodded, and for the first time, he decided to let go of every worry in the back of his mind and enjoy the present.

* * *

A month has passed, and everyday with Bright felt like a blissful dream.

Win knows his time here in the jungle is running out, what with his mother telling him they need to come back to Bangkok soon and submit her research on this uninhibited forest after their three-month long expedition.

But he doesn’t want to come back. He doesn’t want to leave this piece of paradise. Yet he knows he has a responsibility to fulfill. He is a son, a brother to his siblings, a graduating student.

But he doesn’t want to leave Bright. 

As he felt Bright withdraw from his body, Win closed his eyes, trying to commit the sensation to memory. It would have to last a lifetime, and not just because once he was home it was unlikely he'd ever have sex again, but also because even if he did, he didn't think it could ever be with someone as special as Bright.

Because the difference was, he has feelings for the other man, and he’s scared shitless about the future.

Bright eased himself down half on top of Win, but mostly next to him. He smoothed a hand down along his back and back up to the nape of his neck, toying gently with the fine hairs there. 

"Mine," he rasped softly.

"Yeah, and you’re mine," Win smiled, enjoying the caresses. Slowly, he rolled over to face Bright. "You’re my favorite person."

Leaning over Bright, Win brought his mouth over him, kissing him passionately, pushing his tongue inside and making love to his mouth, the way Bright had made love to him—

 _Made love,_ he laughs internally, _he’s too gone at this point._

Win ran his hand down Bright's side, lingering at the concave near his hip before moving behind him and lower, over his firm ass right above where his loincloth still encircled him just past his hips.

“Your turn.”

Bright smiled in reply, which made his heart skip a beat.

Win was at peace in Bright's arms, he felt at home. The thought of leaving and going back to his people, he couldn't face it just yet, so he shoved it down and slowly crawled over Bright, exploring his body with his hands.

“Can we always be this close?”

Bright frowned in confusion at Win's words, but his gaze roamed adoringly over Win's features, a soft smile teasing Bright's mouth. 

Win just kissed his lips, it was the one language that the two had in common and that the other boy understood completely. Bright returned his kisses with equal vigor, arms wrapping securely around him, holding him close, one hand slipping upward, his fingers threading into the short spikes of Win's hair.

After they ran out of breath and the kiss ended, Bright ran his hands down Win's back, lightly grasping his hips as he closed his eyes with a contented sigh and allowed Win to explore his body.

After tracing the contours of Bright's face with his fingers, kissing his cheeks and brushing his mouth along his strong jaw line, Win moved lower. He dragged his fingertips down the column of Bright's neck and caressed his chest, following the lines of his muscles, and noticing the way Bright tensed a little, and the way his lips curled upwards. 

"Ticklish, huh?" 

Now that he knew, Win made sure to occasionally use his blunt nails, especially when he stroked the wild man's sides, laughing out loud when Bright's reaction was stronger.

"Tickle," Bright dug his fingers into his side. "Win tickle Bright."

When Win's touches went from pleasurable to a sensation that probably caused the other boy’s body to jerk and jump uncontrollably, Bright's eyes shot open and started laughing uncontrollable, trying to wiggle away from his teasing fingers. He reached for Win's wrists, tugging them away from his body as he wiggled and thrashed lightly beneath Win, a bubble of laughter breaking from his throat. 

Suddenly, Bright rolled Win over onto his back and tried to mimic his actions, moving his fingertips against Win's sides, poking his ribs slightly.

"No! No tickling Win," Win shouted, trying to get away, and choking on his laughter. "No," he shook his head. "Stop, Bright," yeah, he couldn't take what he could dish out and that was a fact. Closing both his arms and his legs around Bright so he couldn't move, Win repeated more faux sternly. "No tickling Win."

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, and then he rolled them over so he was on top again. 

"But tickling you? Now that's okay." 

“Win!”

As he started to do just that, he also brought his mouth down over Bright's, kissing him hard. His hands dropped away from Bright's body to cup his face on both sides he moved his mouth over Bright's. 

He didn't want to go back. He knew he had to. It hurt too much to think about it, so he chose to feel... to drown in his feelings for Bright.

Bright's body jerked when Win started to tickle him again only to relax with a sighed breath that fanned into the man's mouth as they kissed again. The other boy wrapped his arms back around Win, molding his body tight against his own and just cuddling to him tightly.

"Bright is Win. Win is Bright," he murmured huskily against Win's lips.

Win's body responded immediately to the claim, though he knew he really shouldn’t. 

"Yeah. Here, in paradise, in a dream world. But in the real world…”

“What Win?” Bright asked in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing. 

Win shook his head and gently kissed Bright in response.

They lay in silence for a bit, the back of Win’s head pillowed by Bright’s shoulder, listening to the sounds of the forest. 

“Sleep. Bright and Win sleep.”

Win nodded and pulled the other man closer, more closer than one could’ve ever imagined.

* * *

Win startled awake to the crack of a gunshot. 

“Bright?”

The other boy jolted up into a defensive stance, listening. There was another gunshot, and the sound of a loud animalistic cry. 

Bright growled as a flock of birds flew up into the cloudy sky. He stood up and quickly put on his loincloth.

“Win. Stay here.”

“Where are you going? What is it?” Win asked hurriedly as he put on his clothes, standing and running after him.

Bright paused, one hand on a vine. “Lu-ke,” he said, eyes flashing with anger, then swung away.

Win gaped after him. “No…” He looked around, and found the path down, rushing toward where Bright had headed, following the noises of the guns. 

_Fuck, what the fuck is Luke doing?!_

Win slid on a patch of mud, and landed with a grunt. He got back up, wiping the mud from his face. 

“Luke! No! Stop!” he shouted, seeing Bright swinging into the clearing, and landing.

The gun went off, and Bright fell back, clutching his shoulder, Luke giving a maniacal laugh. 

“Protecting the gorillas are we?”

Win shouted again, running forward as he saw a couple of gorillas charging towards Bright, probably to protect him.

“Stop this!” Win screamed. “Luke, you bastard!”

Luke took aim, the bullet hitting its target, knocking the gorilla back with a growl of pain.

“Nadech!” Bright cried out, anger and worry filling his voice. He growled, echoed by a roll of thunder as he moved forward, advancing on Luke.

Luke laughed, aiming the gun again. 

“No!” Win lunged forward, shoving the gun up, bark splintering as it went off. 

Luke snarled, shoving Win aside. “I know you don’t like me, Win, but rejecting me for this ape man is too low for you,” he snarls. “Don’t you dare stop me.” 

Win hit the ground with a dull gasp as the air was knocked out of him. 

Bright grabbed a vine, swinging over and knocking the gun from Luke’s grasp. Luke grabbed it, following Bright up a tree, taunting him as Bright climbed higher and higher.

Bright leapt into another tree, trying to get the man as far away from the gorillas, from Win, from the jungle as possible. 

Luke followed, landing on the branch and advancing. 

“You’re going to die, jungle man. And then I’ll take all your precious gorillas and make millions of bahts on them,” he brought the rifle to bear, and Bright kicked out, knocking them both off the branch. 

Luke grabbed a thick branch as he fell, pulling himself up. “Bastard!” he snarled, wiping off his bloody lip, diving for the gun just as Bright reached it, shoving the muzzle Luke’s chest. 

“Go ahead,” Luke smirked. “Shoot me. You haven’t got the guts. You’re not a real man.”

Bright curled his lip, shoving the gun into Luke’s throat.

“Well. Go on,” Luke smiled and then jerked, falling down as Bright mimicked the loud crack of the rifle.

“I am a man,” Bright growled. “But not a man like you.” 

Bright shoved the gun aside, sending it crashing into pieces with the force of his blow. Luke reached for his machete, lunging forward and knocking Bright from the branch once more, both of them getting tangled in the vines as they fought.

“Lu-ke! Don’t,” Bright shouted, pressing back, pushing away from him, trying to warn him as the vines wrapped around his neck. Luke snarled, slicing them away as he fought to get closer to Bright. “Don’t!” 

Bright leapt forward, too late as Luke sliced the last vine, sending him falling.

The vines snapped tight and Bright hung there, the sky finally opening over him, rain pouring down as lightning cracked. After a few long moments, Bright moved, sliding down, making his way past the other gorillas to Nadech, the silverback.

Win stepped forward worriedly, hesitating as he saw them communicating, one large paw resting on Bright’s shoulder. 

After a few seconds, Nadech is gone.

Bright suddenly stood with tears in his eyes, raising up on his legs and letting out an almighty roar, pounding his chest.

The gorillas responded, and Win fell back, suddenly very much aware of how different their two worlds were, how different he and Bright were. He raised his gaze to Bright, meeting the man’s eyes. 

Bright’s roar ended, and he dipped his head, breaking eye contact as he dropped back to all fours.

Win sank to his knees, watching as Bright led the gorillas into the trees, the shapes disappearing in the sheets of rain.

* * *

“Win, luuk, are you done?”

Win jolted from his reverie, hurriedly packing his books into boxes. “Yes, khun-mae. I’m nearly finished.”

His mother poked her head into the tent again. 

“Luuk? Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Win nodded, looking out the book in his hand, smoothing his hand over the stars etched on the cover. “Just fine.”

“Is this about Bright? Hasn’t he come to see you?”

“No, khun-mae. He… he’s busy. He’s leading the gorillas now that Luke killed…” Win trailed off.

“Oh luuk… he truly was special to you, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, khun-mae. He was… my only friend in a very long time,” Win set aside the book, hurling it into the trunk with the rest. “I need to finish packing,” he stood, and escaped out of the tent, nearly running into the captain of their boat. 

“I’m sorry, sir.”

The captain nodded, entering the tent. “Mrs. Opas-iamkajorn. We’ll set sail at dawn tomorrow. We’ll be packed by then.”

“Thank you, Captain.” 

Win’s mother looked out the door at Win, watching him go out and climb up into a nearby tree.

* * *

Win stared out over the beach, watching the waves as the men from the ship took the last boat of belongings out to load. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Bright! You came…” he murmured, turning to face the man, trying to ignore the leaping of his heart.

“You’re leaving?” Bright asked, looking around at the movement, the boats pushing off from the beach.

“Yes,” Win nodded, staring as the gorilla troupe came out, appearing from the trees. “I have to.”

“No.”

“I’m sorry—”

“No. Repeat after me,” Bright said urgently. Suddenly, he made a series of small grunts. “Copy me.”

Win frowned, but did as he said. 

“What did I just say?” he asked, startled as the gorillas started to make excited noises, well aware of the stares of the sailors and his mother.

“You said you will stay. Here, with me.” 

Bright tilted his head, catching Win’s gaze.

Win looked at him, breath catching. “Oh,” he murmured, just before Bright kissed him, cradling his face with rough palms.

Bright smiled. “I read many books,” he said quietly, looking at Win. “They all say to ‘court’. I don’t...have these things. Mansion. Wine. Car. And I don’t think W-you. I don’t think you want those things. I think you want different things. And I will try to court. But do you want me?” He reached out, plucking a flower from the nearest tree, and offering it to Win. “We can be mates. Win can stay with Bright. Bright loves Win.”

Win hesitantly took the flower. “Bright…I… I have to go back to Bangkok,” he said weakly. “I have my father… sisters… a little brother… and a degree to finish…”

Bright looked at him helplessly. “So. No? You won’t stay.”

“No. I can’t,” Win said, blinking rapidly, willing his tears away. “I have to go.”

Bright looked away for a moment. 

“Okay. You go. I stay. You… come back if you want to see me again,” he gave Win a little nod. “I understand,” he said softly. “Win loves Bangkok more.” 

_Fuck, why does this hurt?_

Bright leaned in, just barely pressing his lips to Win’s cheek. “Go. It is okay,” he pressed their hands together, looking at their palms for a moment, then stepped back toward the gorillas.

Win clutched the flower tight, and moved back, walking down the beach. He bit his lip as he climbed into the waiting rowboat, facing ahead, toward the ship, not meeting his mother’s gaze.

“You know, luuk. I can’t help feeling that you ought to stay...”

“Khun-mae please, we’ve been through this. I have a duty as your son, and my siblings, I just can’t leave them alone. And with people, and—” Win snapped, voice breaking at the end.

_Fuck._

“And what about the other people? The person you love?” mother asked, nodding toward the shore.

Win started to respond, only for a breeze to steal the flower from his hands. He gasped, turning to grab it, only to watch it drift back into Bright’s hands as the jungle man scooped it from the sea.

His boy.

“You love him. Go, luuk,” mother smiled. “We’ll know how to find you.”

Win gaped at her, and then turned, jumping from the boat. 

Who is he kidding? He can’t let go of Bright. He doesn’t want to let go of him.

“Bright!” Win half ran, half swam, Bright coming out to meet him, grinning wildly.

They crashed together, caught in a desperate kiss.

“Stay?” Bright finally managed. “Stay with me Win?”

“Yes. Yes, I’ll stay,” Win pulled back, making the sound from earlier, grinning and blushing as the gorillas started to celebrate. “I love you.”

“What it means? Heartbeat for me?”

Win nodded in affirmation, eyes sparkling.

Bright grinned, cradling Win’s face in his hands as he kissed him again. 

“I love you too.”

* * *

Deep in the jungle, there lives a boy. He swings from branch to branch, living as one with the apes and the creatures of the trees and rivers, the vines and rocks. 

His name is Bright, and after years of living alone, he finally has someone... 

_And his name is… Win._

**Author's Note:**

> Say hi at @brightwineunoia :)


End file.
